Clinical evaluation of radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis.
Four rheumatologists and 2 radiologists utilized 3 reading techniques to evaluate clinical radiographic progression in selected serial hand and wrist films from 5 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The carpometacarpal radio determinations were the most internally consistent; global assessment and total erosion + joint space narrowing scores showed the best between-method correlations; and the erosion + joint space narrowing scores depicted most sensitively the progression over time which was not affected by immunomodulating agent or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent therapy. In this study, instructed, non-experienced readers detected rheumatoid radiographic progression utilizing readily available scoring techniques.
Turner
R A
RA
Department of Medicine, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
Flint
K P
KP
Semble
E L
EL
Agudelo
C A
CA
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D013679:Technology, Radiologic